Souaibou Marou has been left scratching his head over how his international career has suffered through his time at Orlando Pirates.
With the bell now ringing at three months to the AFCON finals in Cote d'Ivoire, Marou has found himself blown up into the sky like dust.
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Marou was named the 2022 Cameroon Footballer of the Year and was one of only two local based players in the Indomitable Lions' 2022 World Cup squad.
However, since making the switch to Pirates in January, his international fortunes have also vanished with Rigobert Song forgetting about him in preference of other rising talents who include Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford to feature along regulars Vincent Aboubakar, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Karl Toko Ekambi, Clinton N'Jie, and Moumi Ngamaleu.
Marou's exclusion from the national team has been justified considering how much of a battle his time at Pirates has been.
Through the opening six months that the 22-year-old spent at Pirates during the second half of last season, he battled for minutes.
After his debut back in February against Maritzburg United as late substitute, Marou then totalled a mere 46 minutes spread over five appearances and without a goal to his name.
Into the new season, there has been little change for the Cameroonian.
No appearance in the league or the MTN8 after eight games with the closest that he came to getting minutes being when he sat on the bench twice.
The CAF Champions League has provided solace being brought in against Djabal Club from Comoros before getting his only ever start as a Pirates player away at Jwaneng Galaxy.
Struggling for minutes and without a goal this year, Marou will have to watch the AFCON finals from the stands having looked certain to be part of team while he was banging goals for his former club Coton Sport last year.
Pirates' foreign signings upfront in recent years haven't delivered with Kwame Peprah, Bienvenu Eva Nga, and Jean-Marc Makusu all not living up to expectations while Terrence Dzvukamanja only rose to the occasion in the last six months of his time at the club.
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